1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to lubricant and liquid fuel compositions. In particular, it relates to the use of borated derivatives of hydrocarbyl vicinal diols in liquid fuels and lubricants to reduce friction and fuel consumption in internal combustion engines.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Alcohols are well known for their lubricity properties when formulated into lubricating oils and for their water-scavenging characteristics when blended into fuels. The use of vicinal hydroxyl-containing alkyl carboxylates such as glycerol monooleate have also found widespread use as lubricity additives. U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,326 discloses some of the esters suitable for the present invention, e.g. glycerol monooleate, as minor components of lubricating oil compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,498 discloses, among others, the same ester as just mentioned, as an additive to other oils. U.S. Pat. No. 2,443,578 teaches esters wherein the free hydroxyl is found in the acid portion, as for example in tartaric acid.
The above patents, as are numerous others, are directed to the use of such esters as additives. Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,798,083; 2,820,014; 3,115,519; 3,282,971; and 3,309,318 as well as an article by R. R. Barnes et al. entitled "Synthetic Ester Lubricants" in Lubrication Engineering, August, 1975, pp. 454-457, teach lubricants prepared from polyhydric alcohols and acid containing no hydroxyl other than those associated with the acid function.
So far as is known, no effort has been made to employ borated hydrocarbyl vicinal diols as a fuel or lubricant additive. It is known that borated hydrocarbyl and borated aliphatic diols are known for other uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,358 teaches a phenol-aldehyde foamable composition containing a boron compound, e.g. a material formed by reacting boric acid or boric oxide with such aliphatic hydroxyl-containing compound.